Honoring the goals of older adults and people with disabilities, one conversation at a time
By Christine Vanlandingham
Every person deserves dignity, independence, and choice—especially as we age or live with a disability. These aren’t luxuries; they’re the foundation of a life well lived. Yet for too many older adults, those principles can feel fragile—eroded by isolation, health challenges, or systems that don’t always bend toward the individual.
At your Area Agency on Aging, we are privileged to be welcomed into people’s homes. We sit at their kitchen tables and in their living rooms and we listen. We hear how they want to live their lives, what their goals are, and what barriers stand in the way. Then we come alongside and create a plan—a plan to meet their goals. Not our goals. Not the system’s goals. Theirs.
A local family shared a story with me this week that brought the importance of those principles into sharp focus. Their father, in his late eighties, lived with multiple chronic conditions. His aim was clear and simple: to live independently in his own home for as long as possible. And he did—right up to his last morning—thanks to his own determination, aging services, and the steadfast support of highly engaged family caregivers.
When a sudden critical health episode occurred, the family called for help. An ambulance ride to Corewell Health South hospital brought exceptional care and compassion. Once it was clear that death was imminent, he was transferred to Hanson Hospice Center, where the transition from life to end of life was incredibly peaceful—surrounded by beauty, kindness, and a team that honored both the patient and the family with gentle, attentive care. It was, in the family’s words, a good end to a good life—exactly the kind of dignified, person-directed experience he wanted.
For me, this story is more than a touching moment—it’s a blueprint. It’s what happens when dignity, independence, and choice guide every interaction, from the first phone call for information to years of partnership supporting daily living, health, and connection. It’s what happens when families have the information, resources, support and confidence to navigate complex decisions. And it’s what happens when community partners—health care, hospice, social care—work shoulder to shoulder to honor people’s goals.
That’s the work your Area Agency on Aging advances every day. We listen to individuals as they define their own goals, then work alongside them to find solutions to the obstacles they face. We coordinate services that help people remain at home, partnering with more than 70 community-based organizations to make that possible. We coach and support caregivers. We strengthen local partnerships—ensuring that dignity, choice, and independence are more than ideals, but a daily reality for older adults in our community.
We know there’s no one-size-fits-all solution—what makes life better for one person may not work for another. That’s why we take the unique insights gathered around kitchen tables, along with the experiences of the thousands of individuals we serve each year and use them to inform the way we shape programs, services, and public policy.
This past week, I was in Washington, D.C., with colleagues from across the country to carry that local promise into national action. Our advocacy is rooted in the Older Americans Act—a law that, for more than 50 years, has shaped everyday supports that sustain dignity, independence, and choice: home-delivered meals, caregiver support, transportation, information and assistance, and programs that combat isolation. The Act is more than legislation; it’s scaffolding that helps communities keep their promises to older adults and people with disabilities.
But the heart of our work isn’t in conference rooms or the halls of Congress—it’s in kitchens and living rooms, in phone calls from older adults and family caregivers, in careful plans made after a diagnosis, and in the everyday moments that make up a life. The stories we hear remind us what “success” looks like: not perfection, not infinity, but a life lived on one’s own terms, supported by people and systems that respect those terms to the very end.
So here’s my invitation to our community: learn about the resources available through your Area Agency on Aging. Share them with someone who might need support—whether for a short-term need or a long-term journey. And when you have the chance, speak up for policies that protect dignity and independence—because aging well is something we all have a stake in.
Let’s also take a moment to celebrate the caregivers, volunteers, and professionals who make these stories possible—and commit to being part of that promise. Whether through advocacy, service, or simple kindness, we all play a role in ensuring that every person can live life of dignity on their own terms.
Because dignity, independence, and choice aren’t just ideals—they’re a promise we keep together, one conversation and one act of care at a time.
Christine Vanlandingham is CEO of Region IV Area Agency on Aging in Southwest Michigan. Questions on age or independence services? Call (800) 654-2810 or visit areaagencyonaging.org to learn more and get connected to the support you deserve. The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.